|
Main
- books.jibble.org
My Books
- IRC Hacks
Misc. Articles
- Meaning of Jibble
- M4 Su Doku
- Computer Scrapbooking
- Setting up Java
- Bootable Java
- Cookies in Java
- Dynamic Graphs
- Social Shakespeare
External Links
- Paul Mutton
- Jibble Photo Gallery
- Jibble Forums
- Google Landmarks
- Jibble Shop
- Free Books
- Intershot Ltd
|
books.jibble.org
Previous Page
| Next Page
Page 39
His lips were full and very red. As a woman he might have been
considered handsome--even beautiful; in a man this beauty was
unnatural and repellent. He wore Oriental slippers, fur-lined,
and his feet rested on a small ottoman. One long, slender hand
lay upon a cushion placed on the chair arm, and a pretty girl was
busily engaged in manicuring his excellency's nails. Although the
day held every promise of being uncomfortably hot, already a huge
fire was burning in the grate.
As Parker stood before him, the languid, handsome Oriental did
not stir a muscle, merely keeping the gaze of his strange black
eyes fixed upon the nervous cobbler. The manicurist, after one
quick upward glance, continued her work. But in this moment of
distraction she had hurt the cuticle of one of those delicate,
slender fingers.
Ormuz Khan withdrew his hand sharply from the cushion, glanced
aside at the girl, and then, extending his hand again, pushed her
away from him. Because of her half-kneeling posture, she almost
fell, but managed to recover herself by clutching at the edge of
a little table upon which the implements of her trade were
spread. The table rocked and a bowl of water fell crashing on the
carpet. His excellency spoke. His voice was very musical.
"Clumsy fool," he said. "You have hurt me. Go."
The girl became very white and began to gather up the articles
upon the table. "I am sorry," she said, "but--"
"I do not wish you to speak," continued the musical voice; "only
to go."
Hurriedly collecting the remainder of the implements and placing
them in an attache case, the manicurist hurried from the room.
Her eyes were overbright and her lips pathetically tremulous.
Ormuz Khan never glanced in her direction again, but resumed his
disconcerting survey of Parker. "Yes?" he said.
Parker bumblingly began to remove the lid of the cardboard box
which he had brought with him.
"I do not wish you to alter the shoes you have made," said his
excellency. "I instructed you to remeasure my foot in order that
you might make a pair to fit."
"Yes, sir," said Parker. "Quite so, your excellency." And he
dropped the box and the shoes upon the floor. "Just a moment,
sir?"
From an inner pocket he drew out a large sheet of white paper, a
pencil, and a tape measure. "Will you place your foot upon this
sheet of paper, sir?"
Ormuz Khan raised his right foot listlessly.
"Slipper off, please, sir."
"I am waiting," replied the other, never removing his gaze from
Parker's face.
"Oh, I beg your pardon sir, your excellency," muttered the
bootmaker.
Dropping upon one knee, he removed the furred slipper from a
slender, arched foot, bare, of the delicate colour of ivory, and
as small as a woman's.
"Now, sir."
The ivory foot was placed upon the sheet of paper, and very
clumsily Parker drew its outline. He then took certain
measurements and made a number of notes with a stub of thick
pencil. Whenever his none too clean hands touched Ormuz Khan's
delicate skin the Oriental perceptibly shuddered.
"Of course, sir," said Parker at last, "I should really have
taken your measurement with the sock on."
"I wear only the finest silk."
Previous Page
| Next Page
|
|